Why Not Stay at Home This Valentine's Day?
Whether or not Cupid's arrow has struck you this year, Valentine's Day is here again. It's the sneakiest of all the holidays. You're finally recovering from the hangover of the new year—not to mention the financial overload of Christmas shopping—and another holiday with mandatory gifts arrives? Feel free to burrow a hole into the Earth and hide like a groundhog who saw its shadow. Worry not, my dear groundhog: I have your Valentine's Day planned out. No matter your relationship status, you're staying home this year, watching a romantic flick, with a perfectly matched cocktail. I've curated 10 films for your Tuesday night, with a special drink for each story. Keep reading—and thank me later.
The Lake House + Rosita
Forget Titanic and Casablanca. I’m throwing the gauntlet down to say that The Lake House is the most romantic movie of all time. A film where our main couple spends the majority of the film never actually meeting, and yet the romantic tension is off the charts? Sign me up. If this tearjerker has you deep in your feelings, take a sip of this Rosita. It’s a rose-colored take on a classic Negroni. It’s just as bittersweet as finding love at the right place—and the wrong time.
Rosita
Ingredients
• 1 1/2 oz. tequila reposado
• 1/2 oz. sweet vermouth
• 1/2 oz. dry vermouth
• 1/2 oz. Campari
• 1 dash Angostura bitters
Directions
1. Stir ingredients with cracked ice in a mixing tin until chilled.
2. Strain into an Old Fashioned glass over cubed ice. Garnish with an orange (or lemon) twist.
Friends With Benefits + Blushing Mimosa
Friends With Benefits couldn’t deny the chemistry between its leads, Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis. The sparks between the two felt so real that rumors spread about the duo dating off-screen. In the film, the two walk and banter all around New York City, trying to have flirty fun, while keeping it casual. But c'mon. When you both look that good? Falling in love seems inevitable. Sip on this Blushing Mimosa while you watch. Just trust me on this one.
Blushing Mimosa
Ingredients
• 2 oz. orange juice
• 1 oz. pineapple juice
• 2 tbs. grenadine
• brut champagne
Directions
Fill a champagne flute 2/3 full of the juice mixture. Top with champagne, then add grenadine.
Fatal Attraction + Forbidden Fruit
Leave it to Fatal Attraction to show you just how wrong a passionate affair can go. Starring Glenn Close and Michael Douglas, the film explores the dire consequences of a moment of passion. Fatal Attraction has everything: steamy elevator hook-ups, heart-pounding suspense, and a classic token of romantic obsession: stalking. If your blood pressure is spiking from the tension, take a breather with a sip of this whiskey and Aperol cocktail: the Forbidden Fruit.
Forbidden Fruit
Ingredients
• 1 1/2 parts Tullamore D.E.W. Cider Cask
• 1 part Aperol
• 1 dash orange bitters
Directions
1. Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice.
2. Stir and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with an apple slice.
(Courtesy of Tim Herlihy, national ambassador for Tullamore D.E.W.)
Fire Island + La Paloma
This queer-led romantic comedy is a fiercely funny and heartwarming take on the classic Jane Austen romance, Pride and Prejudice. The film sees a group of friends venture to Fire Island for their yearly vacation in the haven full of gay parties and hot singles, only to find out that it's their last time together at the vacation house. Fire Island is a hilarious and earnest story about falling in love outside your comfort zone—and the special bond of a chosen family. Enjoy Fire Island with this tropical drink, which make you feel like you're sitting on a beach watching a beautiful sunset.
La Paloma
Ingredients
• 2 oz. tequila reposado
• 1/2 oz. lime juice
• pinch of salt
• grapefruit soda
Directions
1. Combine the tequila, lime juice, and salt in a tall glass.
2. Add ice, top off with grapefruit soda, and stir.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind + The Heartbreaker
If your eyes are dry at the end of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, are you even human? Based on a simple idea we've all pondered before after a bad breakup, Eternal Sunshine shows us what would happen if you could have your ex completely erased from your memory. Would you do it? Maybe the old saying is right—it's better to have loved and lost. Either way If you shed a couple tears watching this Jim Carrey classic, we won't tell. Comfort yourself with The Heartbreaker, a rich cocktail that balances the saccharine with the bitter.
The Heartbreaker
Ingredients
• 1 1/2 oz. dark roast coffee (espresso or strong brewed)
• 1/2 c. crushed ice
• 1 oz. vodka
• 1 tsp. simple syrup
• 1 oz. heavy cream
Ingredients
1. Add a handful of ice to a cocktail glass. Gently pour in vodka.
2. Add simple syrup, heavy cream, and finish with espresso. Stir to mix or serve with cream floating.
(Courtesy of Grounds & Hounds founder Jordan Karcher)
The Wedding Banquet + New York Sour
It’s 2023, people. We’re embracing nontraditional romantic relationships and families. This Ang Lee-directed romantic comedy takes lying to your parents to a whole new level. Winston Chao plays Wai-Tung, a savvy modern New Yorker who lives in peaceful bliss with his boyfriend, Simon. All of that comes crashing to a halt when his parents decide to visit—and he has to pretend to be engaged to a female tenant of his who needs a green card to stay in the country. Antics ensue. Whip up a New York Sour to pair with The Wedding Banquet. This tart and syrupy boozy beverage will remind you how life can be hard to stomach sometimes—but there's always a sweet silver lining to be found.
New York Sour
Ingredients
2 oz. bourbon (or rye)
3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
3/4 oz. simple syrup
1 egg white (optional)
red wine
Directions
Shake all ingredients except the red wine with ice. If you've chosen to go for the egg white, make sure to shake extra well.
Strain into an Old Fashioned glass over fresh ice.
Float the red wine by slowly pouring it over the back of a bar spoon onto the cocktail. An ounce or two should do the trick.
She’s All That + The Bushwacker
Remember your high school crush? Really, there's nothing that make us feel warm and fuzzy inside like first love. She's All That is a classic teen rom-com that, of course, culminates at the prom. Your typical nerd-turns-into-gorgeous-popular-girl-after-she-takes-her-glasses-off trope is going strong here, but the chemistry between Freddie Prinze Jr. and Rachel Leigh Cook will transport you right back to your high school hallways. What better way to sink into that nostalgic feeling than to take a big gulp of the Bushwhacker? It's essentially a chocolate milkshake piña colada. Throw two straws in there and share it with your valentine to recreate a perfect after-school date.
The Bushwacker
Ingredients
2 oz. dark rum
1 oz. Kahlúa
1 oz. dark crème de cacao
2 oz. cream of coconut
2 oz. milk
nutmeg, whipped cream, or cherry (optional)
Directions
Blend ingredients with ice—start with 1/2 c. and add from there—until the mix reaches milkshake consistency.
Pour into a hurricane-style glass, then garnish with grated nutmeg, whipped cream, or a maraschino cherry.
The Love Witch + Big Red
Are you addicted to love? Then you might be able to relate to the heroine of this film, Elaine, a dreamy yet determined young witch, played by Samantha Robinson. This Anna Biller-directed film is a sumptuous feast for anyone with a romantic leaning. Rich velvets, technicolor lights, and vibrant backdrops fill every scene. Maybe you’ll discover a new philosophy on love, as you follow Elaine as she looks for the perfect match to fulfill all of her fantasies about love—and ends up sorely disappointed each time. Will being a hopeless romantic just doom us to fail in our relationships every time, or is it possible to find unconditional love? Unfortunately, I don't have an answer for you, but I do have a spicy cinnamon cocktail for you to sip on while you manifest your own romantic fantasies.
Big Red
Ingredients
• 2 oz. cinnamon-infused bourbon (Four Roses Yellow Label works)
• 1/4 oz. Mandarine Napoleon
• 1/4 oz. Bruto Americano
Directions
1. Fill a mixing glass with ingredients, and stir.
2. Strain over one large ice cube in a glass, and garnish with candy hearts and orange twist.
(Courtesy of Natasha Soto-Albors, bartender at Motel Morris)
Mr. Malcolm’s List + The Pink Lady
Nowadays, it’s far too easy to reject someone. Just swipe left or leave them on read—and you’ll never have to deal with them again. Back in Jane Austen times, it wasn’t quite so easy to ditch an unsuitable suitor. In Mr. Malcolm's list, Freida Pinto plays a young single woman who arrives in London's upper-class society and drafted to ensnare the most eligible bachelor in town. Nurse this elegant concoction, which will have you feeling just like a member of London's eligible elite.
The Pink Lady
Ingredients
• 1 1/2 oz. gin
• 1/2 oz. apple brandy
• 1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 oz. grenadine
• 1/4 - 1/2 oz. egg white
Directions
1. Add all ingredients into cocktail shaker, seal your shaker, and shake vigorously for 5 seconds. Add ice and shake again for another 5 seconds.
2. Fine strain into a cocktail class and garnish with a brandied cherry.
Decision to Leave + Hot Pink Handgun
Is Decision to Leave romantic? Depends on who you ask, I guess. If you’re the type of person who likes getting tattoos of their lover’s name engraved permanently on your skin, you might find this movie endearing. This tale of obsession will take you on a dizzying ride through love, betrayal, and trauma. Trust me, you’ll be reaching for a drink somewhere in between all of the plot twists and crushing moments of yearning. The Hot Pink Handgun cocktail will steady you. Just like the name sounds, it's flirtatiously pink and bold, with a bright twist of lemon—and the sneaky depth of cognac.
Hot Pink Handgun
Ingredients
2 ounces cognac
1 teaspoon orgeat syrup
1/2 ounce lemon juice
5 large or 8 small raspberries
1 egg whites
1 teaspoon superfine sugar
Instructions:
Put the lemon juice into a cocktail shaker and stir in the sugar.
Add the other ingredients and, before adding ice, shake viciously but briefly to activate foam. Add ice, shake again hard (to smash up the berries), and double strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
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